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Frequently Asked Questions Assessment Policy

Job Analysis

A subject matter expert, or SME, is a "person with bona fide expert knowledge about what it takes to do a particular job. First-level supervisors are normally good SMEs. Superior incumbents in the same or very similar positions and other individuals can also be used as SMEs if they have current and thorough knowledge of the job's requirements" (Delegated Examining Operations Handbook, http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/deo_handbook.pdf).

Other possible SMEs can include former supervisors or incumbents with recent experience; as long as they have bona fide expert knowledge about a particular job, they can serve as an SME. If – and when – possible, reach out to as many resources as you can to increase the number of SMEs. A larger number of SMEs not only ensures you are capturing all of the key requirements of the job, but it also provides multiple points-of-view regarding the criticality of the tasks and competencies.

No, you do not need to conduct a job analysis each time you fill a position. However, if the position is unlike any other position in your agency or if the nature of the position is such that its requirements are likely to change with relative frequency (e.g., information technology positions), you may want to review the position at least annually to ensure that your selection tools are still valid. After performing the review, you can determine whether a new or updated job analysis is needed.

The greater the hiring manager's involvement and contribution to the selection process, the more likely it is that the Human Resources Specialist will be aware of the key job requirements and be able to properly screen the candidates.

Also, the more involved hiring managers (and supervisors) are in the recruiting and assessment processes, the more likely they are to receive high-quality candidates. Their input ensures the correct (and critical) tasks and competencies are being included in the job analysis and assessment measures, which, in turn, ensures those are the critical competencies addressed by the candidates.

Hiring managers should also be aware of the May 11,2010, Presidential Memorandum entitled "Improving the Federal Recruitment and Hiring Process." Section 1 of that Memorandum (Directions to Agencies) requires hiring managers and supervisors to be "more fully involved in the hiring process, including planning current and future workforce requirements, identifying the skills required for the job, and engaging actively in the recruitment and, when applicable, the interviewing process." (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-improving-federal-recruitment-and-hiring-process)

Check with your human resources office concerning agency-specific guidelines for documentation, such as what information should be recorded, how long it should be stored, who should hold the information, etc. Be sure to store all documentation regarding the job analysis in a safe, secure area.

For more information regarding how long to store job analysis documentation, please see:

A job analysis "identifies the competencies/KSAs directly related to performance on the job. It is a systematic procedure for gathering, documenting, and analyzing information about the content, context, and requirements of the job. It demonstrates that there is a clear relationship between the tasks performed on the job and the competencies/KSAs required to perform the tasks."

Job analysis data "should be used to develop effective recruitment, selection, performance management, and career development methodologies."

Job analysis is a foundation for identifying and/or developing assessment tools such as occupational questionnaires, structured interviews, and job knowledge tests. The information (tasks and competencies) gathered during a job analysis can also be applied to other employment practices such as performance appraisals, promotions, and employee development.

There are many resources and websites you can use to gather tasks and competencies. While none listed here are necessarily endorsed by OPM (except for OPM’s Selection and Assessment website), they can provide a good starting point for your job analysis.

Conducting a job analysis requires the identification of critical tasks and competencies for a given position – along with the linkage between the critical tasks and competencies – which can then be used to develop valid and reliable assessment tools such as occupational questionnaires, structured interviews, and job knowledge tests.

The information (tasks and competencies) gathered during a job analysis can also be applied to other employment practices such as performance appraisals, promotions, and employee development.

There are many ways to conduct job analyses. The methodology chosen is impacted by factors such as the number of incumbents and supervisors, the recency of existing job analysis information, and the likelihood the job has changed.

According to the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection (http://www.uniformguidelines.com/), the documentation for a job analysis performed for selection purposes should include a description of the method used to analyze the job.

"The work behavior(s), the associated tasks, and, if the behavior results in a work product, the work products should be completely described (essential). Measures of criticality and/or importance of the work behavior(s) and the method of determining these measures should be provided (essential). Where the job analysis also identified the knowledges, skills, and abilities used in work behavior(s), an operational definition for each knowledge in terms of a body of learned information and for each skill and ability in terms of observable behaviors and outcomes, and the relationship between each knowledge, skill, or ability and each work behavior, as well as the method used to determine this relationship, should be provided (essential)."

These ratings provide valuable information regarding the importance and criticality of the tasks and competencies. The ratings also provide data to assist you in many aspects of the assessment process, such as selecting competencies (content areas) for occupational questionnaires, deciding which questions to address in a structured interview, and so on. Rating scales used by OPM can be found in Appendix G of the Delegated Examining Operations Handbook, http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/deo_handbook.pdf.

NOTE: Whether or not actual ratings are gathered, your agency should have evidence establishing the importance of the tasks and KSAs.

It's not the ideal situation, but we do realize that is the reality at times (e.g., when a position is new and has therefore never been filled, or a job is being modified and only a few people are aware of the expected changes).

While the number of SMEs needed to represent a job will depend on the nature of the work and characteristics of the workforce, it's always advisable to gather as many SMEs as possible. Anyone (first-level supervisor, superior incumbents, former supervisors or incumbents with recent experience, etc.) with bona fide expert knowledge about a particular job can serve as an SME. If – and when – possible, reach out to as many resources as you can to increase the number of SMEs. A larger number of SMEs not only ensures you are capturing all of the key requirements of the job, but it also provides multiple points of view regarding the criticality of the tasks and competencies.

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